The tech unis make new friends in responding to the government’s HE plan

The Australian Technology Network’s submission to the Senate inquiry on Minister Tehan’s student place funding bill is said to be largely in-line with its budget sub (admirably focused is the ATN).

Word is the ATN goes harder now on the student completion rate requirement which they want out altogether but otherwise ATN supports passage with “several sensible amendments.” These include; * extending demand driven access to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rather than, as at present, to those from remote and regional areas, * reviewing the contentious new funding rates for STEM undergraduate places and * legislating indexing Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding, (now in regulations.)

There is something else interesting about the submission, it’s jointly from the ATN (UTS, RMIT, Uni SA and Curtin U) plus two – Uni Newcastle and Deakin U.